tYouTube is a platform owned by Google, and not only is it encroaching on TV, music video, and movies, but it has become a platform essential to indie authors and small publishers for marketing.
Tips for Using YouTube for eBook Marketing as an Indie Author
- Create your own videos. Whether your eBook is fiction or non-fiction, you can use YouTube to reach a larger audience. Create videos that introduce you to your readers or provide additional background or information.
- Make the videos short. Videos on YouTube that have the highest views are between 3-5 minutes long.
- Don’t sell your eBook in the video. No one will watch a five minute ad. Give them something valuable, useful, or interesting in the video, then add a call to action at the end to click over to the eBook purchase.
- Be authentic. Don’t try to be something you’re not on YouTube. Talk directly to your intended audience. If you’re goofy, be goofy; if you have insightful information that people will find interesting, share it.
- Brand yourself. Take the time to create a channel on YouTube and add all of the detail you are able about yourself as an author, your eBooks, links to your website and blog, etc.
- Create an author series in which you highlight the different authors you represent. Conduct interviews with the authors, do Q&As, and present author profiles.
- Have a 'news of the week' section on your channel where you talk about industry news.
- Use YouTube to announce new publications, new releases, and newly signed authors.
